On April 13th CESS lost one of its own with the passing of our esteemed colleague and friend, Janet Bossange. At a memorial service held for her in the Davis Center on April 20th, Janet’s life and work were remembered and celebrated by several hundred friends, colleagues, students, and family members, with an outpouring of love and praise for a life ended too soon yet filled with accomplishment. To all of us who worked with and came into contact with Janet, we will never forget the upbeat manner with which she undertook every task. Nor will we ever fail to remember the smile on her face when we might stop by her office to say hello, and she would take time from her busy schedule to chat. Never would she say, “I’m sorry, but I’m busy now, could you come back later.”
Janet’s tenure at UVM began in 1987 when as a teacher in the Colchester VT school district she supervised the field placements for elementary teacher education students and taught elementary mathematics education to UVM students. In 1995 she joined the UVM faculty as a lecturer in the Department of Education and was promoted to senior lecturer in 2006. At the time of her passing, Dr. Bossange was CESS Associate Dean of Outreach and Engagement, a position she assumed in 2007. As Associate Dean, her responsibilities included national/state academic program accreditations, undergraduate student leadership and engagement, development, the James Jeffords Youth Summit for high school students, 8th Grade Academy for inner city middle grades students from Boston, the University’s Teacher Education Council, liaising with Vermont higher education teacher preparation and social service programs, and writing across the curriculum initiatives. She was one of the first and chief proponents of service learning for students. She created and taught a leadership course with a main focus on service learning that served students from across the campus.
And Janet’s dedication to her work and life did not stop at the University’s gates. Prior to her appointment at UVM, Dr. Bossange was a lecturer at Trinity College, adjunct instructor at St. Michael’s College, and Director of City Kids After School Program in Burlington. In addition, she was an accomplished artist, well known and respected within Vermont’s artistic community. She was also actively involved in the life of Burlington and Vermont, serving as a member of the First Night Board and chair of its Youth Committee. She was a member of Alpha Chapter of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society, Phi Delta Kappa, and the Vermont Association of Middle Level Educators.
At the closing of her memorial, the Reverend Frederick K. Neu, Chaplain, Fletcher Allen Health Care, read a letter to Janet from John Bossange, her husband of 38 years, which he had written to her in the days before she passed, a loving tribute to her for a life lived as one, and in gratitude for each and every day they were fortunate to be together. Words deeply felt that will live in the minds and hearts of every one present. She will be missed.
Gifts in memory of Janet may be made to the Dr. Janet Bossange Memorial Fund, 411 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05401. The fund will be used to support students and research activities conducted by faculty in the College of Education and Social Services at UVM.
Gifts may also be made online. Simply click the Gift Designation as “Other” and indicate the Dr. Janet Bossange Memorial Fund as the designation. The link is below.